Batman Rules the Box Office Roost

Debuting with very strong (albeit not staggering) box office numbers is the long-anticipated return of the Caped Crusader. Christopher Nolan‘s "Batman Begins" handily hooked the #1 spot at the box office this weekend, hauling in just under $47 million over the three-day frame. Toss in the Wednesday and Thursday numbers and the new-fangled bat-flick stands with a fairly impressive five-day tally of $71.1 million.

Strong numbers, to be sure, but most industry experts are certain that WB was hoping for a somewhat bigger haul. Positive word-of-mouth will help the bat to maintain some strong legs, but there’s some pretty impressive competition on the way. (Plus, regardless of the 5-day tally and future box office potential, the bat-fans seem entirely thrilled with the flick, which means that DVD sales will undoubtedly be very brisk.)